The Opposite of Exhausted

You ever just feel flat out, completely and totally exhausted?

Work, family, life; dare I add in health, fitness, community? Life is demanding of your energy and presence.

In this increasingly demanding world we profess to inhabit, it’s not surprising that it gets to the point that even getting away can be exhausting.

To be exhausted is to be “empty, totally used up, deprived, depleted.” And from my own experience that’s just how it feels.

Exhausted happens. Some times it just can’t be prevented but, by and large, I suggest it’s the result of deeply engrained behavior patterns that don’t work for us, have never worked and will never work.

Exhausted literally means that we/you worked until there was nothing left and that means nothing was put back in. All energy, focus has been flowing one way: Out.

And here’s the tricky part: Who’s the one responsible for putting it back in? Is it the people, the employees, the customers, the family you’re sacrificing for or you?

Yep. You got it. It’s you.

Sacrifice is a concept that we, as a society, have developed a long standing co-dependent relationship with: On one hand we believe we are noble warriors and servants when we sacrifice ourselves, our time and our attention for others. On the other, we rarely, if ever, really do it without expecting a price to be paid for it.

It’s under the guise of “selfless service” and then we angrily victimize ourselves and expect others to pay us God-like respect and admiration or tolerate the brunt of our lashings because, “You have to, I have sacrificed for you.”

It’s the line we’ve heard a hundred times in movies and life, the parent telling the teenager, “You don’t know how I’ve sacrificed for you.”

And the rebuttal, which is proof there is wisdom in youth (or at least movies), “No you didn’t! You chose to do what you did because you assumed a role of responsibility, because you chose to be here and I don’t owe you for what you were supposed to do as a parent.”

Well, that’s a lot, but the gem there is “choice.” You can choose to drain and deplete yourself but if you make that choice of your own free will, if you do it mindfully then there’s no one who’s going to have to or will be required to pay for that.

What this means, when you remove the pay-off, you will also remove the incentive. There’s no longer a positive feedback loop, a righteous stance of superiority to make you feel justified in your sacrifice. And guess what that means? You got it. Cut off the feedback and you will most likely stop the sacrifice and exhaustion.

Exhaustion costs you, it costs your company, it costs your family and it costs your children. It’s a poor lesson to be teaching to anyone, least of all your children.

So what’s the opposite of exhaustion? Energized, engaged, present, focused. Or @ full strength.

The opposite of sacrifice is self-care. To put yourself first is to put others first—that’s the great irony. For when you are depleted, when you are compromised and exhausted others lose many times over.

It’s the wisdom of the airline survival instructions: When the oxygen masks drop, place yours on first before assisting others (those deemed to be weaker or less capable passengers). We all get the sense of this, so how about we take this logic and apply it to your daily life.

Self Care Is Yours
Putting yourself first for an hour a day can make more time, amplify your results, productivity, and most importantly, happiness exponentially. It doesn’t cost you time, it creates time.

It needn’t be anything drastic, no dramatic life shifts. Just get over the story, become aware of the model of sacrifice and your pay-off—what you’re expecting from others in return. Then add some “you” time. Nourish your body and mind with intention and awareness.

One of the most destructive, disrespectful patterns the busy man or woman can get into is eating without mind. That’s eating on the go, doing whatever you need to quiet hunger without attention to nutrition. Not only is it debilitating you today and killing you tomorrow, it’s sending a powerful message to your subconscious that you’re not valued, not important.

Eat for nourishment with awareness. For 10 tips on how to do this effortlessly see my “10 Practices for Nutritional Freedom” from my book Strength for Life.

Eat foods that are time and calorie economical, but nutrient rich. One of the most effective daily rituals for the busy man is a nutrition shake specifically tailored not just to build muscle or body but to elevate the mind, nourish your body and generate hours of focused freedom. That’s just what the clinically proven Full Strength shake is engineered to do.

With the rest of your time add movement. Exercise and train your body and when you’re not doing either of these, take a brisk walk, get your energy moving and awaken your mind.

I also recommend another practice from Strength for LIFE, the 5 minute morning gratitude practice. This simple practice of thinking and journaling a focus of gratitude each day can shift your state, presence and focus in a powerful, transformative way. Try it.

Here’s to you making the choice to abandon the exhausted, weakened state and choose the opposite, life from a position of Strength.

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